Captivity
by KaidaPoi
Summary: AU While in prison, being experimented on by Erol and Praxis, Jak ends up cellmates with a girl who ends up experimented on as well... Based on an RP between a friend and I.
1. Tara

**Author's Note:** This is the backstory, essentially, that a friend of mine and I came up with for our Jak RP. It's AU, due to the fact Tara's very presence changes the storyline of things. The story of the actual RP, which adds another OC to the mix, will get posted after this is through.

**Disclaimer:** The Jak and Daxter games, along with any characters involved in them, do NOT belong to me. They are copyrighted to Naughty Dog. Tara is my own character, and her existence belongs to me.

--

It was dark and cold. Jak had noticed that the first night he'd been in the cell. And two weeks later, it hadn't changed. Two weeks, and thankfully he hadn't changed. Although the Baron had started his experiments a few days ago. He shivered at the remembrance of dark eco dancing across his skin, inside his blood...He had to figure out a way to escape. He startled out of his thoughts as the cell opened and someone was thrown inside.

"You should feel honored, little girl, that the Baron even thinks you're strong enough for this." Jak watched the KG closed the cell and marched off before he could react. What...

He looked over to see the person they'd thrown in curled up where they'd been thrown...No, her. The KG had said 'little girl'. Whoever this was made a rather pitiful sight, crying where she'd landed. She was bruised, and had a few scrapes...but otherwise, she seemed in better condition than him, if a bit thinner. He couldn't tell what color her waist-length hair was, but it was dark...very dark.

Jak reached a hand out to shake her and was stopped by a pair of ice-colored eyes.

"Don't. Touch. Me." He gave her what he hoped to be a friendly smile. Her eyes narrowed, and he noticed they were slightly red from her crying. "And don't look at me like that." He shrugged and she growled, sitting up. "Why don't you say anything, asshole." He sighed silently and pointed to his throat, then shook his head. Usually, Daxter or Samos or Keira had explained why he didn't talk...She suddenly looked embarrased...he could see the blush on her skin.

"Oh...I'm...I'm sorry." She sighed this time. "I'm really sorry. I've got a wicked temper...always have." She gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm Tara. Any way I can get your name? Or should I call you Silent?" Jak thought for a moment...then nodded. "Alright then, Silent it is!" Tara chuckled, then looked around, taking in the situation. "Hey Silent...which bunk you been sleepin' on?"

He pointed to the bottom one. With the experiments, Jak didn't have the energy to get to the top. Tara just nodded and scrambled up to the top. "I have a feelin' sleep is gonna be rare...so I intend to catch every scrap I can. Night, Silent." Jak decided to follow suite, though sleep came slowly to him. It was strange being called 'Silent'...but he didn't feel like somehow having his name get to Erol and Praxis. Already he hated them...


	2. Red

**Author's Note:** This is the backstory, essentially, that a friend of mine and I came up with for our Jak RP. It's AU, due to the fact Tara's very presence changes the storyline of things. The story of the actual RP, which adds another OC to the mix, will get posted after this is through.

**Disclaimer:** The Jak and Daxter games, along with any characters involved in them, do NOT belong to me. They are copyrighted to Naughty Dog. Tara is my own character, and her existence belongs to me.

--

Jak was barely awake from the latest attempt to pump him full of dark eco when the cell opened and a figure he recognized as Tara was thrown in. Wait...hadn't she been on the top bunk? The cell door closed and he moved over to her as fast as his protesting limbs would allow. She was shivering...but from pain rather than the cold of the cell floor. This time, his hand met her shoulder and she didn't shoo it away.

"I hate them Silent. I hate them with everything I am." He would have recoiled a month before...but now, he agreed with her words. "Those experiements they do to you...I've seen 'em as I get dragged past...But they're doing something like 'em to me." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she raised herself up to sitting. "Except I get red eco. It's like being on FIRE, Silent...except there's no burns, no smoke...just the PAIN." He took his hand off her shoulder and just sat there with her.

That would explain what Praxis wanted her for. He sat there as she cried, then helped her into her bunk.


	3. Voice

**Author's Note:** This is the backstory, essentially, that a friend of mine and I came up with for our Jak RP. It's AU, due to the fact Tara's very presence changes the storyline of things. The story of the actual RP, which adds another OC to the mix, will get posted after this is through.

**Disclaimer:** The Jak and Daxter games, along with any characters involved in them, do NOT belong to me. They are copyrighted to Naughty Dog. Tara is my own character, and her existence belongs to me.

--

A year had gone by...A year that had he and Tara worn to the bone and no strangers to nightmares. They'd stopped trying to hang to some semblance of propriety. With as tired as they were, either trying to make it to the top bunk was useless...and neither wanted to sleep on the floor again. That was a hazard that ended up with cold and sore muscles. So they'd taken to sharing the bottom bunk, clinging to one another for warmth and to remind themselves they were still alive and real. It never went further than that.

Tara's temper had grown worse as more red eco was injected into her. Most of the KG didn't want to go near her in fear she'd snap at them...The last time she'd snapped, it'd taken seven guards to get her back into the cell, and one of those guards ended up with a broken arm inside his armor. She'd started to calm down after Jak managed to get a hand on her shoulder.

But even with him, she would get irate. But never over the fact he was silent. She'd grown as used to him not speaking as Daxter had. And Tara often confessed she was glad of it. His silence was more honest than the scheming that went on around them. Tara could trust his silence...

And now they'd taken it away.

Jak wasn't sure how...but they'd done something to him, and he could talk...

He stumbled as he was pushed back into the cell where an exhausted Tara sat waiting for him. His eyes met hers.

"I'm...sor-ry."


	4. Jak

**Author's Note:** This is the backstory, essentially, that a friend of mine and I came up with for our Jak RP. It's AU, due to the fact Tara's very presence changes the storyline of things. The story of the actual RP, which adds another OC to the mix, will get posted after this is through.

**Disclaimer:** The Jak and Daxter games, along with any characters involved in them, do NOT belong to me. They are copyrighted to Naughty Dog. Tara is my own character, and her existence belongs to me.

--

"Wake up...you need to eat somethin'." Jak groaned and winced before his eyes were even open. It was so strange hearing sound come from his throat. "Come on..." He rolled over to see Tara crouched beside the bed, a bowl of the gruel they'd been getting fed in her hands. "It actually tastes halfway decent today..."

"Wh-" He was stopped by a shake of her head.

"You just eat...then we'll...talk." Jak sat up and took the bowl from Tara, then watched as she sat in front of the cell door. She was glaring at it. No...she was glaring at the KG outside. It hadn't been the first time Tara had done so. She did it after every time they were experimented on...which was becoming more frequent. He hadn't noticed any physical changes with himself...

But Tara was changed, just a little. The first time he'd seen her hair in the light, even dim light, it was a dark blue. Now it was purple-ish, more red than blue. And her pale skin has a red undertone to it. But her eyes were still like ice.

And those eyes met his once he'd finished eating.

"So...what do I call you, now that you're not silent?"

"Jak." She smiled...a weary, drawn expression, but a smile nonetheless...and moved to sit beside him again.

"Tha's a nice name."

"Thanks." And then they were silent.


	5. Tales

**Author's Note:** This is the backstory, essentially, that a friend of mine and I came up with for our Jak RP. It's AU, due to the fact Tara's very presence changes the storyline of things. The story of the actual RP, which adds another OC to the mix, will get posted after this is through.

**Disclaimer:** The Jak and Daxter games, along with any characters involved in them, do NOT belong to me. They are copyrighted to Naughty Dog. Tara is my own character, and her existence belongs to me.

--

It always took three KG at minimum to put them back in their cells. No one wanted to risk an incident like the one that had killed eight of their comrades...Three of them had been taken out when the blond had gotten hostile, the other five when the girl turned explosive.

Jak quickly made his way over to where the KG had tossed Tara. He could see her skin start to turn red and little sparks start to come off her. As much as he wanted to see the KG hurt, he didn't want to be in the blast radius too.

"Tara...what's your story?" The sparks vanished and her skin turned pale once more as she turned startled eyes on him. The subject was counter to the thoughts that had been in her head. It was also still strange to hear Jak talk. It'd been two weeks, and his voice had grown stronger, but still...she'd spent a year with him being silent...She sat up shaking her head.

"You would ask me that..." She smiled sadly. "Not much to tell, Jak. Mom died cause she was sick too much when I was little, Dad lost his home to the Baron and the KG. So I grew up on the streets. Dad got on the wrong side of a KG 'arrest' one day...and I was left alone. Two months later, the KG swept me up, and to here. You're looking at a bonafide street rat, Jak." Over the months, Jak had been listening to Tara's tales of the world beyond the prison, and the gossip of the KG. It would explain why Tara had been thinner than him when she'd first been brought here..."What about you?"

Jak smiled tiredly and started his story. Eventually, his vocal chords protested from so much use, and the story ended for the day. They slept, and ate, and Jak was dragged off to be experimented on. And when he came back, tired and not himself, Tara told him an old legend her father had once told her...Of the great King Mar, who once ruled with strength, wisdom, and kindness.

And the next day, when Tara came back, Jak continued his story. It went on like that, until both grew too tired to do much of anything. And then the stories stopped.


End file.
